….I’ve gone mostly flexitarian myself, but not from any ethical or religious reasons; my own push in that direction came from a New York Times article published in January:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ex=1176264000&en=92b8c4a2994cb1a3&ei=5070

However - while I certainly agree that anybody can eat whatever they want, I’m not about to let a child in my home dictate the family menu. Nor am I going to support exceptions; my first wife made her meal, then she cooked whatever the boys wanted to eat individually. Not only was this a bit of an unnecessary hardship; it also allowed the boys to grow up with a very restrictive diet (what they WANTED) and a sense of entitlement.

I have a running partner that is vegetarian and she is perfectly healthy.

I eat much meat and we get along just fine; I respect ehr decision and she respects mine, even though I am constantly picking on her about it.

I would be concerned about the PETA reference. They are a fanatical group that has proven support to many “terror” organizations in the US.

I think you should let her experiment with this lifestyle as long as she explains the health benefits of each and every meal that she cooks in lieu of partaking in what you have made for the family. If she gives a logical argument for what she is eating, why not let her skip the meat?

As long as she does not get lazy and start eating cereal for every meal, I think she will be fine choosing soy over chicken. SJ just needs to make sure that she remains vigilant in giving her body what it needs to grow healthy and strong. Ignoring much needed protein and iron in the diet can lead to serious problems, so a life decision such as this cannot be made lightly.

It appears that SJ has done her research, and truly feels as though this is the right thing for her to do. When you consider the petty things that most teenage girls are worried about at her age, the fact that she has concerned herself with this decision speaks volumes about her character.

I wish you all the best of luck!

First, her argument is weaker because it uses evidence from PETA. The entire organization is founded on hypocrisy and I tend to discount anything that they support or that is supported with evidence provided by them. I fail to see how taking animals out of shelters by telling the shelters you will find homes for them and then killing the dogs and cats and leaving their carcasses in public parks on a regular basis is very ethical, and that is just the most recent atrocity that I have heard from that organization.

Second, it is a very well written and well thought out essay. However, the decision does not necessarily have to effect the entire family.

Everybody is entitled to eat whatever they want. Technically, your daughter lives under your roof and should abide by your rules, but my wife’s family had to go through a similar situation when she was growing up. Her sister decided to become a vegetarian and refused to eat the family meals. Their solution was to allow her to cook her own meals while they just made less of what they were eating or had more left overs. Problem solved.

If she can find a diet that fits her lifestyle and allows her to be healthy, then there really should be no problems. She does not insist that you change your habits (which I wouldn’t put up with if it happened in my household; I don’t put up with it when it happens to me outside of my household), only that you respect her decision to change her habits.

I joke with my wife about becoming a vegetarian for health reasons, but while I am actively consuming more vegetarian meals (at least 3 or 4 per week now) I have no intention of ever giving up fish (unless I for some reason move away from the ocean) and probably would not give up poultry.

I also have no problems with the way that animals are grown and slaughtered in order to feed me, and that argument would never sway my line of thinking. I respect others to not wish to support the practice, as long as they respect my right to not be bothered by it. As for comparing cats to pigs and dogs to cows, they can all be eaten. I have never eaten a cat or a dog, but there are plenty of cultures that consider them a source of food.